Students use a collection of primary sources to investigate conditions for children working in cotton mills during the Industrial Revolution. These demonstrate both positive and negative aspects. They are encouraged to consider the reliability of each source. They then write up their findings in a balanced government report, making critical use of the source material to reach an overall judgement on whether child labour should be banned. A writing frame is also included for weaker students.

To tackle the pressure of limited contact time and such a vast topic, I produced this KS3 unit and managed to condense the delivery down to two hours (although I’m sure more time could be spent on this topic). The Power Point leads the students through all activities with accompanying resources included. Aims and Objectives: To know the main events leading up to the outbreak of World War Two. To work on reading, note-taking and analysis, explaining the significance of these events and how they inter-relate. To make a judgement on the effectiveness of Appeasement. Over the two lessons, the students create a detailed information sheet which breaks the unit into four key areas with specific tasks for each. The booklet provides all of the information required to complete the tasks and there are two versions with one being shorter/easier. There is a focus on reading and comprehension with the teacher increasingly taking a step-back as the work progresses (whole class- paired- individual reading). The four key activities include explaining why the Treaty of Versailles angered Germans, why Germans came to support Hitler, summarising Hitler’s foreign policy aims and considering their appeal, map work on their application and a judgement on the effectiveness of Appeasement. There are extension tasks on linking factors and comparing their importance. There is also a starter quiz to recap lesson one’s work in the second half. This can be done in two hours- I’ve done it.

This KS3 lesson covers the reigns of Edward and Mary. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources. Having spent a long time studying Henry and later Elizabeth, I’m afraid these two monarchs have been condensed into one lesson (sorry Edward and Mary). We focus of the religious problems as this is so integral to the students’ understanding of Elizabeth’s problems and indeed later on, the Stuarts and the English civil war. Aims and Objectives: To know and understand the main changes that Edward and Elizabeth made to the church in England. To reach a judgement on their actions- did Mary deserve to be known as “Bloody Mary”? To empathise with people living in England at this time and how these changes must have made them feel. The lesson starts with a whole class recap on Catholic and Protestant beliefs. All students have to get involved with their C and P cards. We then read a series of statements about Edward’s actions deciding which are true and false (based on the fact that he was Protestant). Mary is introduced with the Horrible Histories song. If you have the DVD then you can see the video in full but You Tube currently only has this clip with lyrics alone due to copyright. Students rank the cards on Mary’s actions from best to worst.They finally show their understanding by writing a letter using the framework provided from either a Catholic or Protestant perspective, explaining the religious changes implemented by Henry, Edward and Mary.

This KS3 lesson should take at least one hour to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities and accompanying resources are all included. Aims and Objectives: To know what the Commonwealth was/is. To know the type of work carried out by Commonwealth members during the war. To understand why Commonwealth members signed up. To reach a judgement on how well people from different races were treated during the war. Activities include a starter which defines the Commonwealth and asks students to memorise countries from a map against the clock before playing last man standing. A series of sources are then used to list the reasons why Commonwealth members signed up. There are three versions, including a simpler SEN version and a subsequent version which involves highlighting instead of writing. After watching the BBC newsreel “West Indies Calling” to note done the range of jobs carried out by members of the Commonwealth, we then analyse their treatment using a series of source cards. We test the hypothesis “Commonwealth members faced racism during WW2” by arranging them from agree to disagree. Consideration is also given as to whether relations improved. This leads into the final verdict on whether the BBC newsreel was being truthful about the treatment of Commonwealth members during the war.

This KS3 lesson provides an overview of events and then analyses the reasons for the Allied victory in WW1. The Power Point leads students through all of the activities. After a brief introductory video, the students rate the level of the Allies’ success through seven closing stages. Having gained an overview of events, students then carry out a range of analytical activities using the cause cards provided. They are asked to group the cards into Allies’ strengths vs. German’ weaknesses, long vs. short term and then group them into social, military and economic. After reading a worked example of an explanation of military reasons, students select either social or economic reasons and produce an explanatory paragraph to demonstrate their understanding.

IMPORTANT: Some of these worksheets refer to the textbook “Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History, Medicine through time, c 1250-present” (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127378 and will not be usable without a copy of this text. This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 1-2 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To learn about new approaches to prevention: mass vaccinations and government lifestyle campaigns. The Power Point leads students through all activities with answers/feedback and exam technique advice for answering 12 mark questions. Activities include a source inference starter, note-taking and weighing up of improvements v. continuing problems in treatments and access to care. This leads into a 12 mark exam question “Explain why there was rapid progress in disease prevention after c1900.” An essay planning sheet is included. Students are encouraged to review each others’ plans and peer assess the written answers.

IMPORTANT: One of the activities in this unit (Night of Long Knives fact file) refers to the textbook "Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939 (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127347 and will not be usable without a copy of this text or another text which explains the events of the Night of Long Knives. This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 2+ lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand the Reichstag Fire. The Enabling Act and the banning of other parties and trade unions. To understand the threat from Röhm and the SA, the Night of the Long Knives and the death of von Hindenburg. Hitler becomes Führer, the army and the oath of allegiance. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources. Activities include a video starter asking students to consider how the Nazis overcame the obstacles to their dictatorship, conversion of a staged written explanation of the events into condensed bullet points, colour-coding of actions into legal and illegal, a Night of Long Knives fact file and an exam interpretation question on this topic including a possible structure.

This KS3 lesson should take around one hour to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities and all accompanying resources are included. Aims and Objectives: To know what Hitler’s aims were for young people in Germany. To know the methods that’s the Nazis used to indoctrinate/control young people. To use sources to reach a verdict on how successful the Nazis were in controlling young people. Activities include a starter which asks students to translate Hitler’s aims into an illustration of the ideal Nazi boy and girl (using symbols). A series of sources with questions are then used to investigate various elements of life in Germany from the Hitler Youth, to education and resistance groups. An SEN version of this exercise is also included. Finally, students write a paragraph answer/verdict on how effective the Nazis were in controlling young people.

Three one-hour lessons with all activities explained on Power Point. The focus is on continuity and change between 1750-1900. Once students understand the basic changes which took place during the Industrial Revolution, they carry out more detailed research and analysis using the information provided. They also develop their knowledge of key terms for this unit via a homework and key terms test. The lessons end with an assessed piece of writing analysing areas of change and continuity (writing frame and mark sheet included)

IMPORTANT: The final revision task refers to the textbook “Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History, Medicine through time, c1250-present” (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127378 and will not be usable without a copy of this text. The rest of the lesson works independently. This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 1-2 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand how the Great Plague in London, 1665, was dealt with: approaches to treatment and attempt to prevent its spread. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying worksheets. These include information prioritisation, categorising/analysing information, creating an illustrated table, a 4 mark exam answer and some end of unit revision using the textbook.

This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 3 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand the growth of unemployment- its cause and impact. The failure of successive Weimar governments to deal with unemployment from 1929 to January 1933. The growth of support for the Communist Party. To understand the reasons for the growth in support for the Nazi Party, including the appeal of Hitler and the Nazis, the effects of propaganda and the work of the SA. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources. Activities include starter video analysis on why the Wall Street Crash helped the Nazis, source analysis on the effects of the depression, a cut and stick activity categorising the effects, comprehension questions on the failing of the government and the rise of extreme parties, photo source analysis on Hitler’s appeal, note-taking on this topic with provided grid, card sort activity on reasons Nazis appealed to different sections of society and a full interpretation exam question with advice, examples and writing frame.

IMPORTANT: One of the activities refers to the textbook "Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History: Weimar and Nazi Germany, 1918-1939 (editor Leonard A. and published by Pearson) ISBN 9781292127347 and will not be usable without a copy of this text or one which explains the roles and functions of the various institutions of the Nazi police state. This Edexcel 9-1 GCSE unit covers around 2-3 lessons depending upon your class and their overall ability/work rate. Aims and Objectives: To understand the role of the Gestapo, the SS, the SD and concentration camps. To understand the Nazi control of the legal system, judges and law courts. To understand the Nazi policies towards the Catholic and Protestant Churches, including the Reich Church and the Concordat. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources. Activities include a video starter on who controlled Germany and how, a research table on the role/function of each institution, source analysis on the ways in which they justified their activities, a 12 mark exam explanation question with advice, paired discussion on methods for ensjuring fair sentencing, thought-shower on Nazi control of the legal system, problem-solving starter using a range of symbols and images to compare Nazi and Christian values, analysing a written passage on the church looking for evidence of co-operation and oppression and a final summary revision diagram. The Power Point also contains answers and fedback at intervals.

This KS3 unit should take around two hours to complete. The Power Point leads students through all of the activities with accompanying resources provided. Having spent considerable time looking at the causes, I tend not to get too bogged down in the events themselves as I’ve found that the students like the lessons on the trial and execution more. This is why I’ve condensed it into two hours. Aims and Objectives: To know who fought who during the English Civil War and to compare the differences between the two sides. To use sources to learn about what life was like at the time in England. To know the key events of the Civil War and select the main reasons why Parliament won. To consider how King Charles might have done better. Activities include a video starter on fighting in the 1600s which enables students to visualise this period of time. Students then label a Roundhead and Royalist soldier and consider which side was better equipped. They analyse a range of sources including a painting, cartoon and written passage to gain insight into what life was like. In the second lesson, they read a passage in pairs to highlight reasons why the king lost. There is also a card sort on this topic which I use as an extension or with my G&T groups. Students then use their understanding to write a letter to King Charles during the war advising him on ways in which he could be more successful.

This KS3 lesson should take at least one hour to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities with an accompanying student task booklet. Aims and Objectives: To know the key events of the Cuban Missile Crisis. To understand why it happened and with what consequences. To understand its significance in changing the course of history. Activities include a quick starter recap on communist dictatorships vs. capitalist democracies, followed by the necessary background information. Students label a political cartoon and then create a caption. They then analyse the advantages and disadvantages of the various options open to Kennedy. Using the time line of events, students create a tension chart to demonstrate the rise and fall of tensions. They then consider reactions to and effects of the crisis before a final plenary discussion on what can be learnt from this.

This KS3 lesson should take one hour to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities and accompanying resources are included. Aims and Objectives: To know the main reasons why each of the contenders thought they should be king. To understand why it is difficult to know what really happened. To consider who had the strongest claim and explain our choice (reach a judgement). Activities include a fun and slightly silly Pictionary starter on the key words for this unit. Students then use the information sheet to make notes on each individual’s claim to the throne. There is an SEN version where students can draw lines from facts to people. There is also a G&T extension which asks students to look more closely at source material on this topic. Students then show their understanding through writing a paragraph answer to the question “Who should be king?”.

This Key Stage 3 unit explores the causes of WW1 and then goes on to analyse the reasons why the German Schlieffen Plan failed, leading to trench warfare. It will take around two lessons to complete. The Power Point leads students through all of the activities. There are a number of very nice short video clips on the causes of WW1, including a great Horrible Histories clip (when available) but I particularly like the Blackadder clip attached. Be warned- the final punchline is “bollo**s” and I often censored this with a timely cough much to the annoyance of the class. The lessons start by contextualising Europe in 1914 with some map work and identification of alliance systems. We then identify and analyse the causes of WW1 using the passage provided. The following lesson, the students start by problem-solving Germany’s dilemma and proposing their own war plans- I’ve had some very interesting and intelligent responses to this, along with some quite frankly bizzare/amusing. After studying the Schlieffen Plan, students translate the actual events into a series of annotated maps before analysing the reasons for the plan’s failure and writing this up in an extended paragraph.

This KS3 lesson should take at least one hour to complete. The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources included. Aims and Objectives: To consider the problems which William faced immediately after the Battle of Hastings. To understand that he applied different methods to each of these problems. To empathise with people who lived through the Norman Conquest. Activities include a think, pair, share starter considering what William’s potential problems might be and how he may address them. His problems are then summarised as 1) Controlling population 2) Resistance in the north 3) Collecting taxes and tackled separately. An extended source is analysed to understand how the resistance in the north was handled. The nature of hierarchies is introduced via modern-day examples before students complete their own diagram of the feudal system using the structure and jumbled phrases. An SEN version is also included. Students consider who they would most/least like to have been. A five minute video is finally used to explain the Domesday Book.

This KS3 unit of work should take at least two hours to complete (depending upon how long you allow your class to spend on the board game activity). The Power Point leads students through all activities with accompanying resources included. Aims and Objectives: To know how medieval people practised their faith and the key words that are linked to this. To understand why religion was so important to them. To understand medieval views on Heaven and Hell and apply this by creating a board game. Activities include key words/definitions matching, independent reading and summary note-taking, analysing a medieval wall painting, sorting actions into good deeds/sins and ranking these and creating a medieval religion snakes and ladders board game.